Widower sues factory in death

PINELLAS PARK -- The husband of a woman killed during an accident on an assembly line in 1999 is suing the Pinellas Park company where she worked.

Deborah Felmly, 39, a machine operator died instantly when her shirt and hair became caught in a shaft that moved the assembly line at Adva-Lite Inc., a manufacturer of penlights, laser pointers and lanterns.

James Felmly Sr. filed suit in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court on behalf of himself and her three children, 18-year-old twins and a 20-year-old daughter.

After the June 11, 1999, accident, federal investigators found several safety violations at Adva-Lite and fined the company more than $9,000 for 11 violations.

However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration stopped short of blaming the company for Felmly's death at the plant at 7340 Bryan Dairy Road.